Ephesians 3:1-7

Ephesians 3:1-7

Growing in Understanding the Mystery

Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall

 

Eph. 3:1a (Holman) For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus. . .

 

          Paul was a prisoner. His resume had a few hiccups in it. This was not even his only imprisonment. Paul often ran afoul of the authorities, yet here we are, gathered on a Sunday, each of us holding copies of his writings in our hand, and poring over his words. We love Paul, and honor him as one of the greatest men who ever lived. Fortunately, God has never judged anyone by their ratings in popularity polls.

          In our text, Paul was not saying he was suffering due to the cause of Jesus.  He was for sure in prison due to his ministry, but this was not the thought being conveyed in "the prisoner of Christ Jesus." Paul, depicting himself as belonging solely to Jesus, saw his suffering as part of the lot assigned him by Christ.

          Pondering his plight, he wondered, "Why am I here?" In his solitude, he found only one answer. Paul was in jail because Jesus had ordered it, and wanted him there.

          Romans viewed Paul as a prisoner of Rome and Caesar; Paul saw himself a prisoner of Heaven and God. Paul felt he was totally "the prisoner of Christ Jesus."

          The Apostle, by seeing himself as Christ's property, knew he could never be a victim of circumstances. Paul realized he was, without Christ's consent, subject to no one or nothing. He measured every deed, relationship, and circumstance, in this light.

          Paul was chained to a soldier, but knew who his real Captor was. He knew who held the keys to the cuffs chafing his wrists, and who locked the door of his cell.

          The end of his imprisonment, be it release or death, will be determined by a nail-pierced King. Properly understanding this truth gave Paul inner calm. Had he merely viewed himself "the prisoner," he would have found ample reason to sulk.

          Fusing "the prisoner" with "of Christ Jesus" lifted everything higher, and put suffering in a light that burned out all self-pity. Troubles become an honor when we can couple them with Jesus' name. Our outlook affects everything. How do we view our lot in life? Is it a hardship, or do we see in our troubles God's hand?  Has our humbly accepting them "as from a Father's hand" reached Heaven as lovely worship?

          When first hit with a hardship, we stagger a bit briefly, but must eventually gain our footing and march forward. Let nothing overwhelm us, or make us bitter. Even in the worst circumstances, we must rise to expressing joy. We must imitate Paul's understanding of the Christian life by lifting our view of trials to lofty heights.

         

Eph. 3:1b-3  . . .on behalf of you Gentiles—You have heard, haven't you, about the administration of God's grace that He gave to me for you? The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above.

         

          Paul was abused because he stood up for us Gentiles. Paul endured persecution because he would make no racial or ethnic dis­­tinc­tions. Paul mentioned this over and over again. He obviously loved it, and always hardly believed it.

          He was amazed at himself. The fact he cared about Gentiles was to him incredible. He who had been a fanatic Pharisee was zealously proselytizing Gentiles.

          Paul could see only one explanation for himself--God. Only God could have orchestrated this amazing paradox, this marvelous irony, this shocking turnaround.

          God took the A#1 blue-ribbon champion Pharisee and made him Apostle to the heathen. God truly has a flair for the dramatic. His ways are astounding, baffling.

          May we beneficiaries of Paul's message of inclusion never be ex­clu­ders. A blight on an otherwise noble ministry can be the lim­ited breadth of one's Christianity. If a congregation sells itself en­tire­ly to one socioeconomic level, one race, one ethnic group, one party or denomination, to the exclusion of others, they choke the Gospel.

          Paul was careful to say his message was not a personal dis­cov­ery he could brag about; it was a gift from God, a "revelation."  The word refers to an uncover­ing, a laying bare, a disclosure. Christian truth is not a product of hu­man knowledge.

          Our message is not ordinary truth. It comes from God. Peo­ple urgently need the "rev­elation" believers have. Varro, a first century B.C. Ro­man writer, collected responses to the question, "What is the true object of human life?" Regard­ing what was deemed the ultimate good, he compiled 320 dif­fer­ent answers. We need divine "revel­ation"!  Without it we run pell-mell in all directions, frantic to find a cause and life's meaning. We need God's "rev­elation" to tell us how to live and what to live for.

          The "revelation" unveiled a "mystery". We think of a "mystery" as an enigma, something hard to figure out, but in the New Testament, "mystery" refers to a truth God kept concealed and secret at one time, but eventu­al­ly re­vealed and made known.

          Once revealed, a "mystery" is not hard to understand. The "mystery" revealed to Paul was, Gentiles were to be admitted into the king­dom on the same terms with Jews. The "mystery" centered in God's promised Messiah. God's hid­den purpose regarding Mes­siah was revealed. Jesus came not for Israel only, but also for Gentiles.

 

Eph. 3:4-5 By reading this you are able to understand my insight about the mystery of the Messiah. This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.

 

          Paul wanted us to understand what he knew. We can stand beside him, analyze his words, and understand his insights "by reading." Paul assumed what he wrote would be read in order to be understood. This is still a most basic assumption of Christian living. What has been written in Holy Writ is to be read, pondered, and compre­hended. God wants us to learn and know the truths He revealed to Paul. He wants us to be knowledgeable, to think on our own, to have our own understanding.

          God seeks people who will be students of His Word, who will pore over Scripture, as the Bereans did. Paul, bitterly treated in Thes­salonica, slipped by night into Berea. The people there "were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed" (Acts 17:11-12a).  Oh for more Bereans, for saints who love the Word and scrutinize its substance.

          On a personal note, reading the Bible cover to cover each year is the single most helpful discipline in my life. Reading the Bible helps. Take time to do it daily.

          Deem yourself entirely dependent on the Bible. Its every word is coun­sel from God. We have no saving, definitive word from God apart from what Scripture says.

          We too often take the Bible for granted. For instance, some people wish they could hear God's audible voice, forgetting that Scripture is as au­thorita­tive as a voice from Heaven. Some think they would live better lives if God spoke out loud to them, but Israel heard God speak audibly, and right away sinned. Some say visions and dreams would be more effec­tive than Holy Writ; not true. Read! We need no more than what is written. We may want the key to success to be God doing something spec­tacular or extraordinary, but to hear God, we hear Him "by reading" the Bible.

 

Eph. 3:6-7  The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace that was given to me by the working of His power.

 

          In other words, God deserved all the credit for everything Paul accomplished. All his life, from the Damascus Road to Nero's dungeon, could be explained only on the basis of a power source beyond himself. He was changed from murderer to minister, from Pharisee to preacher to Gentiles, from arrogance to awe, from fame to abuse--the power that changed him at first continued without ceasing or depletion.

          The church-planting, missions, and evangelism assigned to Paul required more than human strength. We are called to the same task, and it still requires miracle-power. "To lose depend­ence is to lose everything" (MacArthur), for we can­not labor effectively in our own strength. Absolute, uninterrupted dependence on God is our only safeguard. Our greatest danger is not falling from a Spirit-filled life directly into open sin. The worst peril is quietly slipping from doing good things in the Spirit to doing good things in the flesh. The latter position is the dropping off point into sin.  Remain ever mindful of our need for the Spirit's power.

 

Ephesians 2:18-22

Ephesians 2:18-22

Growing Together

Prepared by Dr. John E. Marshall

 

Eph. 2:18-19 (Holman) For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God's household,. . ."

 

          The entrance of non-Jews en masse into the kingdom of God was no less shocking than would be the en­try of a whole colony of Martians into the heart of a major city. Neverthe­less, believing Gentiles were included. We really do belong. We are, with the believing Jews, "fellow citizens" and fellow family "members".

          One privilege of being a Christian is to stand shoulder to shoulder, side by side, with other believers as full-fledged citizens in a hea­venly kingdom. God makes no dis­tinc­tions between us, neither should we. Whom God accepts we dare not reject.

          It is a privilege to belong to a kingdom we can take pride in.  It is natural to be proud of one's country. With intense feeling, people cheer for country. A rustling flag rouses pas­sions, a national anthem provokes tears, deeds of patriotism stir the heart.

          Due to this pride in country, we sense a duty to guard its honor. We must do no less for Christ's king­dom. Are we proud of our heavenly citizen­ship? Do we show our col­ors? Do all around us know to what king­dom we pledge su­preme al­le­giance?  Be not surprised at the many out­side the Church when we act ashamed to be inside it.

          Christ-followers are not only citizens of God's kingdom; we are also members of His family. The unity which exists between Christians is not a loose attach­ment. It is rather intense, close, and intimate, as tight as our earthly family bonds are to be.

          When the Prodigal Son came home, he felt unworthy to be called a son, and sought only to be a hired servant. His father would not do this. The family bond was too strong to be unknit. The returning wayfarer may be a profligate, but one thing he can never be is a hired servant. He is a son. The family bond is strong, unbreakable.

          Loving God as Father entails loving believers as family. A loving dad wants his children to love each other as much as he wants them to love him. A key part of a healthy home is childhood; bro­th­er­hood is, also. We are a loving child only if we are a loving sibling. We do not truly love God if we do not love His children.

          A good relationship between siblings is not automatic. It has to be de­vel­oped through the hard work of building a friendship, finding common interests, and respecting the parents' feelings. Otherwise, sibling rivalries can become serious.

          Siblings, be careful about this. Many households have been destroyed by one or more of the children being totally self-absorbed. Just because people live, eat, and sleep under the same roof does not make a house a home. The same condition exists in a hotel. A house becomes a home when filled with mutual giving inspired by love.

          Likewise, a congregation is not a church if the people only share the same creed, and meet under the same roof. As in a true family, where the resources of each member are at the disposal of all the rest, even so a true church has to be a collection of servants, each seeking to outdo the others in service.

         

Eph. 2:20-22  . . .built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. You also are being built together for God's dwelling in the Spirit.

 

          "The apostles" are the twelve disciples (Matthias in place of Judas) and Paul, men who saw the risen Lord. They were charter-witnesses of Jesus' resurrection, who authenticated their testimony by being willing to die for what they were claiming.

          Everything we believe rests on the foundation of the apostles' testi­mony. The essence of our faith revolves around events of a historic weekend. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is the heart and soul of our confidence, the confirmation and climax of all He claimed and ac­hieved. Thus, the eye-witnesses and testifiers to the events of that weekend provide the evidence and testimony essential for us to believe.

          Since the apostles could not be everywhere, "the prophets" were also sent out to spread the truth of God. The prophets received direct revelations from God, and spoke authoritatively to the Church before our New Testa­ment was completed.

          These first century "apostles and prophets" are the only believers ever to have Church-wide authority. The fact they are "the foundation" proves their functions were limited to the Church's formative period. Since New Testament days, there have been no other apostles and proph­ets. We use the term "prophet" to compliment a bold preacher, but we do not use it in a technical way, to describe an office. "Apos­tles and prophets" are no longer needed; their results remain in the New Testament.

          Beware three dangers. One, do not add to the foundation. The teachings of these first century apostles and proph­ets underpin us. No one after New Testa­ment days has had the right to speak with church-wide authority. Dec­larations made after the New Testament are per­sonal in­ter­preta­tions, and not binding on all the Church.

          Two, do not subtract from the foundation. Some want to delete from the New Testament foundation what they dislike. Beware this dangerous position. To peck away at a foundation, a person has to be outside the building. This is a hazardous place to be in this particular metaphor. Suspect anyone who claims to be in the building, but is at the same time trying to undermine our Bible foundation.

          Three, do not bypass the foundation. Truth is our only basis for unity. Other bases are contrived, artificial, man-made, and futile. The first article of our Baptist Faith and Message wisely states the Bible "is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union." We want unity with all believers, but it is not something we con­jure up. It results from relationships based on being fellow stones in a building. We are part of a building only if we are resting on its foundation.

          Note Paul's progression here as to what we are as believers. We are citizens of the same kingdom, members of the same family, and stones in the same building, built on a foundation that is secure because it is affixed to Jesus the cornerstone.

          Ancient builders, to ensure foundations were successfully laid, aligned them from the most important structural piece, the cornerstone. Before construction began, a huge stone was cut out, perfectly crafted and shaped, and carefully set in place.

          This cornerstone had to be laid first because every aspect of a building was orient­ed to it. All measurements and angle determina­tions were made from it. Its location finalized the building's shape, and determined the lay of walls throughout.

          The cornerstone bore the ultimate weight of the building. Foundations and walls were fused together by being imbedded in the cor­nerstone. The weight from these walls and foundations pressed not only downward, but also laterally. Every stone in the walls would exert pressure toward the cornerstone.

          As stones in God's spiritual house, all believers relate to Jesus, who is the cornerstone. He determines the selection, placement, and function of every stone in the building. The importance of Jesus being our cornerstone can hardly be overstated.

          In ancient buildings, everything depended on the cornerstone. The same was and is true for the Church. For it to be perfectly hewn, God's first decision regarding it had to be its cornerstone. As the Master Architect designed the building, He looked throughout the Universe in search of the perfect stone, and could find only one. Only One could orient, unite, and bear the pressure and weight of all the other stones.

          The burden in carrying believers is huge, but there's no need to worry. Jesus our cornerstone is strong enough to support the full weight of all believers.

          Once imbedded, God's cornerstone held. It worked. It held the load. God poured "the foundation of the apostles and proph­ets" around it, and it did not shift. It stayed steady. God has built the walls of His Church against it; it has not faltered. I'm thankful He one day put this stone of a preacher's son in the wall, and Jesus held firm.

          Before we conclude this sermon, note the word "grows". It emphasizes expansion, telling us the task of building the Church will never be done here. The Church is a cathedral unfin­ished, and will continue to be erected till the final day, when Jesus returns. Only then will its capstone be affixed.

          In the meantime, God expects His Church to grow. Compactness is not enough. Some chur­ches are close knit cliques which resist including new­com­ers. This is not right. The wall is to be compact, but also growing.

          New be­lievers should be gladly welcomed into our part of the wall regularly. We all know people who need to be our fellow-citizens, fellow family members, and who need to move from shifting sand to a firm foundation and reliable cornerstone.